The Business Case for Work-Life

There is no doubt about the payoff for work-life efforts. Scientific and academic research through the years has shown that the return on investment comes in the form of lower turnover, enhanced engagement and commitment and the ability to recruit skills and increase productivity.

Bookmark this page and check in often to see new examples of that research and be reminded about past studies.

In order to justify work-life efforts, whether they are programs, policy changes, flexibility and work practices or culture change, we must look for what’s keeping our management up at night. Here are three things that may be keeping them up, and studies that show the value of work-life as a sleep-aid for CEOs.

The need to recruit skills

A work-life answer: Offer flexibility.

 A Hudson poll of more than 1,600 workers found work-life balance and flexibility were the winners when recruiting skills; compensation came in second. Says Hudson executive Robert Morgan,  adds, “Employers can compete more effectively for talent if they can offer work-life balance.”  

                                                                                                              SHRM.ORG, 2-08, 2-29-08

The need for more productivity

A work-life answer: Allow employees more autonomy and control.

 A study by the Wake Forest U School of Medicine has found that allowing workers to modify where, when and how the work is done improves commitment and reduces absenteeism.
                                                                                              Press release, WAKE FOREST UNIV., 4-22-08

The high cost of health care

A work-life answer: Reduce employee stress.

Stress at work increased the chance of colds, flu and stomach ailments, said a Maastricht University study that followed 8,000 employees from various companies over a three-year period. For both men and women, a lack of freedom to organize their own work and a lack of support from colleagues increased the risk for the onset of prolonged fatigue by a factor 1.5 to 2. In addition to this it was found that for men, a high emotional demand, physically demanding work and little support from immediate supervisors increased the occurrence of fatigue. In women on the other hand, a demanding job and conflicts were related to the onset of fatigue.
                                                                                              MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY, 4-02

A Lluminari study found less heart disease and depression-related illness when employees had more control over their work and their schedules. The top five work-related causes of stress and ill health for both genders: mentally tiring work, time pressure, too many changes within the job, not getting enough feedback on how they are doing and not having enough influence over their job and how it is done.
                                                                                                               LLUMINARI, 6-04

Pitney Bowes found that making employees pay a greater share of the costs of drugs meant they just took fewer drugs. So they got sicker, and health care costs went up. When they cut their share for chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma they began to take them more regularly and dramatic savings resulted. 
                                                                                       Press release, 2004